Worst choice for disabled or if you don’t want to use the keyboard. Very good recognition, good ease of use, average (limited) documentation, limited features, limited vocabulary.IBM VoiceType Simply Speaking, pounds 89, on CD-Rom. IBM (01705 492 249, www.software.ibm /workgroup/voicetyp) System requirements: Windows 95, a 100MHz Pentium, at least 16Mb RAM, Soundblaster 16 (or 100 per cent compatible) or IBM Mwave soundcard.Kurzweil VoicePad ProThe simplest of the three to get running. Another reason its test results were so good may be that with the smallest vocabulary, there is less likelihood of it getting words mixed up, but as most people use only a few thousand words regularly, that may not matter so much.The very basic word processor it comes with may be adequate for some users and it can save in Word 6.0 or RTF format, but if you want to integrate it with other Windows applications you have to upgrade to the pounds 650 VoiceType Dictation version, which also gives command and control, allows you work with macros and do your corrections (or have your secretary do them for you) later. This allows you correct everything in one batch (via the keyboard), although it won’t save the audio for later playback. But if it is crucial that what you say is completely accurate, this method does make you more likely to miss an error in a long document, unless you keep glancing at the monitor.If you do look at the screen, you will notice that it often displays a couple of words before alighting on its choice.

That is because it uses a certain amount of intelligence in relating each word to those around it, to try to give a good fit. Endeavour Technologies (01932 827324 www.endeavour.co.uk). System requirements: Windows 3.1 or 95, a 486 DX4/66 (Pentium recommended), at least 16Mb RAM, Soundblaster 16 or compatible soundcard.IBM VoiceType Simply SpeakingThis system offered the best instant speech recognition. Straight from the box it recognised 85 per cent of words, or more, provided they were already in its 30,000 word vocabulary (you can add a further 27,000 words of your own) Once more familiar, it was getting up to 96 per cent right. Like its rivals it should improve further with use.Its big advantage is that you can speak without having to stop to correct words as you go along; useful if you are reading, as you do not have to keep glancing from paper to screen. Instead, it also records your speech, so that when you click on the word you hear what you said. More features than you will probably ever use.Dragon Dictate Solo, pounds 79.99, on CD-Rom.

The only choice at this price if you want to do more than dictate. Good recognition, average ease of use, good tutorial, average documentation. It also has the best on-screen tutorial, with lots of demonstrations and a cartoon dragon roaring flames. Besides improving your familiarity with it, it also learns more about the way you speak, which makes your first words look less like baby-talk.Conclusion: Best choice for disabled users, and good all-round choice for most users. To reduce errors further, you can alter the settings so it changes words depending on the context, replacing “to big” with a more likely “too big”, although that affects speed.As the word history (or “Ooops Buffer”) can remember up to 32 words, you do not have to keep stopping if you are in full flow. However, it can get frustrating trying to remember what commands you can say (although there is a “what can I say” function which will show you, but it could be simpler, and a quick reference card with the most-used functions).Like its rivals, more documentation (including an extended tutorial) would be helpful, although the help files are generally good. This version will only work with one of these Microsoft applications (your choice): Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access or Internet Explorer.